Weekend TV : Doherty, Ann-Margret in Two-Part Dramas

Two four-hour dramas ripped from newspaper headlines go head-to-head Sunday night.

Shannen Doherty, Edward Asner, Dixie Carter and Kevin Dillon star in CBS’ “Gone in the Night,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 2. Doherty and Dillon play a Chicago couple who are arrested for the murder of their missing daughter. When the husband is found guilty, his wife sets out to prove his innocence. The drama concludes Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Over on NBC at 9 p.m., Ann-Margret headlines “Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story.” The actress plays an abusive wife, mother and teacher who manipulates three of her high school students into killing her husband (Peter Coyote). The conclusion airs Monday at 9 p.m. on Channels 4 and 36.

If you prefer more romantic fare, PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre” presents Kenneth Branagh’s delightful 1993 version of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on KCET-TV Channel 28. Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves star in this joyous comedy.

For L.A. history buffs there’s a special “Visiting . . . With Huell Howser” about Angels Flight, today at 6 p.m. on Channel 28, repeating Sunday at 7 p.m. Howser attends the festivities surrounding the reopening of the historic downtown landmark as the tram cars carry passengers for the first time in more than 20 years.

And the Republican primary race is the hot topic on the weekend’s public affairs shows.